Less than 20 applications received for regularisation in January

Less than 20 applications for regularisation of property have been received at the Bathinda municipal corporation in January so far. Sources claim that the slack in work pace can be attributed to the belief in the general public's mind that in an election year, there were chances that government would go soft on defaulters.

Less than 20 applications for regularisation of property have been received at the Bathinda municipal corporation in January so far.

Sources claim that the slack in work pace can be attributed to the belief in the general public's mind that in an election year, there were chances that government would go soft on defaulters.

Records with the Bathinda municipal corporation show that of the 7,000 unauthorised plots and 65 colonies under the civic body's jurisdiction, only 3,500 plot holders and 42 colonisers have applied for regularisation.

It remains to be seen the strategy the Bathinda MC adopts to get people to start regularisation of their properties again.

"Of the applicants received in January, a couple are from coloniers, the rest are from plot holders," sources said.

Under the state government's policy to regularise unauthorised plots and colonies, a penalty of 20% on plot holders and 50% on colonisers has been imposed till January 31.

Bathinda MC commissioner Vipul Ujwal said that the response had been tepid as they had stopped awareness campaigns in the penalty period.

"A large number of people had applied in the earlier phase as corporation was motivating the people to do so. Now that people are applying with the penalty, we stopped our awareness campaing" he said.

He added that the focus of the staff had shifted from regularization to other work and that he would review the progress on this front on a regular basis.

THE ISSUEUnder the state government's policy to regularize unauthorised plots and colonies, there was no penalty till December 31. However, after regularisation a penalty of 20% on plot holders and 50% on colonisers has been imposed till January 31.People are reportedly not paying up as they feel in an election year, the state government might go soft on defaulters